Are you vegan – enough?
Are you eating healthy – enough?
This topic has been brewing in my heart and mind for a while. After returning from Vida Vegan Con, I thought it was a good time to open up this discussion.
You see, before leaving for VVC, I had some trepidation. I’ve been vegan almost 20 years, and yet had never been to an event that signified and exemplified veganism in its entirety like VVC. As most of you know, I came to veganism through my health, and later learned and integrated the animal ethics rooted in the word and movement. Talking with some colleagues before VVC, I was concerned that I wasn’t “vegan enough”.
Recently someone asked me on twitter why I never use the word vegan in my tweets. I was quite surprised. While I know I use the terms plant-powered and plant-based in my work, my cookbooks all have the the word vegan in their titles. I always shop for vegan shoes, clothes, and cosmetics, and choose the same options for my family wherever possible. Yet, in that moment I felt I wasn’t vegan enough.
One morning at the VVC conference, I was working out at the hotel fitness room while listening to Our Hen House. Who should walk in? Jasmin Singer. There were only three people in this fitness room. I laughed at myself, that here I was listening to her podcast with Mariann – and there Jasmin was, a few feet away. Yet I felt completely awkward to interrupt and introduce myself. Perhaps because I felt most of us don’t want to be bothered with introductions while working out. Or, perhaps because I felt I fell short in my vegan-ness. That might sound silly, but truthfully I have much gratitude and respect for people like Jasmin and Mariann, Victoria Moran, Jonathan Balcombe, and Gene Baur. They are the educators about veganism at its core, covering a breadth of vegan living topics including, but not limited to, the vegan diet.
I focus my time where I know I’m most effective – creating recipes and sharing food inspiration. I try to keep abreast of current issues surrounding animal rights and vegan activism, but often fall behind. My work has always teetered between the vegan and plant-based realm, so I guess I have felt connected to both without being attached to one exclusively. Alas, my work is an expression and reflection of being a Libra!
Backtrack to twitter. Shortly after receiving the question about my vegan-ness, I receive another addressing a nutritional issue with my recipes. I’ve always thought my work was healthy, and it certainly has evolved through my books and years of recipe development. Yet in this moment I felt it was not healthy enough.
I realize some of this is social media, and we need to temper the feedback we get and remain grounded in what we do. Yet, after my VVC trip, I realized that I am not the only one that has these insecurities about vegan and health absolution. I talked to some other bloggers that were also concerned that didn’t feel educated and informed enough for the vegan community, and likewise bloggers that felt they were committing health crimes in the plant-based community.
Vegans that aren’t healthy enough. Plant-based people that aren’t vegan enough.
I returned from VVC invigorated and feeling renewed in my connections to veganism. Yet, I wondered if many of us in the community are having these thoughts (myself included), are we alienating those new to the plant-based diet or vegan lifestyle with notions of impossible perfection?
I’ve heard from many that eat plant-based but don’t want to identify with the word vegan for this very reason, because they are afraid they will be judged for not doing enough, not being vegan enough. And, I understand that, because the word encompasses far more than our diet. It is a life philosophy, a full belief system and change of consciousness. But if I sometimes feel not vegan enough… do you feel the same? Are you discouraged from making worthwhile changes in their lives and diets for fear of being judged that you aren’t entirely there?
I hope not.
But, let me return to the health component of eating vegan. Healthy vegan eating does matter in the long-term, because it is the only way to sustain and uplift the vegan movement. And, it matters even more when raising children. Yes, more. When you have children, those little lives become paramount in your life. Your compassion can extend to all living beings, but not at the expense of your own children. So, there is no point in discussing the welfare of pigs or chickens or dairy cows if a parent cannot believe that this way of eating can be optimally healthy for their child.
That in itself is entirely ironic when we look at the nutritional standards of the standard diet. But, as parents, we have believed that this is the cornerstone of health for our families – forever. As Dr. T. Colin Campbell writes in Whole:
Our society believes so passionately in the health value of milk and meat that it is hard for us to conceive that we might be wrong – that these foods might, in fact, be very unhealthy. It is too far outside of what we have been taught for decades for us to believe it easily, no matter how true it may be.
We have a lot of work ahead, to demonstrate to parents that a vegan or plant-based diet IS indeed healthy – the very understanding of healthy foods needs to change. Our food choices as a larger population will not change until we have a new definition of “healthy”, one that does not include meat and dairy.
So, we work to educate about the nutritional excellence of whole plant foods. Do our efforts communicate a standard of purity, leaving others to feel not healthy enough? We are so passionate about the nutritional beauty of our whole foods like beans and whole grains and leafy greens that we may very well communicate a message of perfectionism. There is no perfection in any diet. There is practice. If we are losing readers because of perceived notions of perfection, then we are failing our causes for improved health and animal welfare.
What also matters is helping people sustain this vegan lifestyle through beautiful, appetizing, sensory-pleasing – and healthy – vegan food. Not every food boasting a V is healthy! Doesn’t mean we cannot eat it, but it does mean we should know the difference. One of my personal food mantras is to focus on eating 90% whole and minimally processed foods. We have room for the treats, sure. Yet, we need to fuel and nourish our bodies for long-term connection and vitality with our vegan diet. I have noticed the more I eat lesser processed and whole plant foods… the more I want them! It might feel a chore at first to move away from the processed choices and make that big salad with beans and leafy greens and veggies for lunch. But not for long! Our bodies adapt and respond. The more we choose healthy foods – foods that ARE ingredients, not FULL of ingredients – the more we enjoy them, and the better we feel. We even begin to crave them.
Here’s what I realized after reflection on my week at VVC. It doesn’t matter that I am not the most educated about vegan activism. What matters is knowing that animal agriculture is warped and cruel. What matters is that eating animals is not necessary. What matters is choosing not to eat meat and dairy every meal of every day. And finally, what matters is helping to show others the same.
Vegan food is my activism. My goal is to share whole-foods recipes that will excite you – treats included! And to share messages about real, clean foods to inspire you to grow and thrive in this beautiful diet. Not to be perfect. But to come to understand and love the vegan basics – beans, grains, veg, fruit, nuts and seeds, and greens. To show you how they are the heart of the vegan diet. Whether you come to that diet from an ethical place, or for health reasons.
Is it naive, idealistic, and simplistic to think there is a place we can connect and support one another? That we can find common ground and build on that foundation for the greater good of better human health and also animal welfare?
Probably so. Here’s the thing. My heart is in both places. So, I will continue to reach out to you from both perspectives, with optimism.
That is vegan enough for me. And healthy enough for me. How about you?
Do you feel these dietary and ethical pressures? How do you resolve them? Please share your insights with others.
Shannon R says
I didn’t go to VVC because “I’m not vegan enough”. It’s sad, but I’m not. I’m a vegetarian and while i respect other people’s dedication to animal rights I’m just not on board with a lot of it and I feel like I’d be the only one who would be there who eats vegan for health. I keep my recipes and posts vegan but I wear leather and buy my husband steak once in awhile for the bbq (he’s very omni). I feel like I have to gloss over who I am (a vegetarian trying to live a happy healthy life) because the vegan community can be really really cruel to those who aren’t 100% on board. However, I do know that there are very accepting people and glad that there’s someone meeting in a half way point I’m still just way too intimidated to be part of the crowd.
I guess I feel like a bad person in their eyes because I’m not deeply passionate about the ethics. And that it would bring me scorn. I mean, my version of “activism” is not asking people to be veg* but to ask them to put a veggie on their plate once in awhile and look for a balanced approach to life.
Dreena says
Shannon, thank you for sharing this with me and my readers. Look at what you are sharing by cooking and developing vegan recipes! We so often look at what we aren’t doing rather than what we are. Maybe you will reconsider going to the next VVC… I found people were very welcoming and the atmosphere was about learning. 🙂
Courtney says
Shannon, IMO, there is nothing wrong with being vegan for health reasons. People who state that those who are vegan for reasons other than animal welfare/ animal rights annoy me. Why should the reasons for going vegan matter, as long as it isn’t a result of an eating disorder? I am happy with lots of people being vegan (and staying vegan) for any reason they so choose.
I am vegan for a variety of reasons, but I came to veganism due to health reasons.
Please don’t feel as if you’re not vegan enough because of these animal rights/ animal welfare bullies. They are not a good image of veganism.
Tofu Mom (Marti) says
LOVE THIS! (And the whole post, Dreena!)
I often feel the same – so many vegans needing to police the rest of us. My boyfriend didn’t want to go to VVC at first because he “wasn’t quite vegan” and worried about what people might think. Ended up being a GREAT experience for him and he loved it, of course.
I’m sure I’m not “vegan enough” for a lot of people’s standards, but we each do the best we can!
Despite their upbringing, my kids are NOT vegan, and in fact, sometimes they bring non-vegan food into my kitchen. (*gasp*) (Their Dad isn’t vegan – or even vegetarian-friendly, so I’m just happy they’ve chosen to remain vegetarian.) But people often judge MY vegan-ness by the choices my (now adult) kids make.
I have to wear shoes with orthotic insoles and the only shoes they fit in? NOT vegan. Maybe someday they’ll design something vegan that works…
I’ve been told that I’m “too fat to be vegan”, that I’m not a “good vegan” because of my weight or that I’m doing veganism a disservice because my blog unapologetically celebrates Vegan Comfort Food.
I could go on listing my crimes against vegan-ness, but my point (as Dreena made above) is that all of us share veganism in our own way and we should celebrate that!
Getting people excited about new ways to eat plant-based, cruelty-free foods is a WIN-WIN. For ourselves, for others who might connect or learn something with our recipes, for our health, for the animals, and for our earth!
JL says
I love everything about this thoughtful, honest post, Dreena. I feel it on both sides, often (especially the “not healthy enough” b.s.). When we are busy judging others, we’re NOT helping the movement – whether AR or healthfulness – at all. If people spent more time focusing on themselves and less time judging others and making them feel “less than”, well, I can’t help to think we’d all be further along. Thanks for writing this!
Dreena says
JL, you are such an ambassador for animal rights and making ethical choices, and yet you’ve shown people that you’ve done it through stages too, that there is a learning curve and we do our best, learn and can do more. Thank you.
Anne says
YOU not vegan enough? I learned to cook and bake vegan mostly thanks to your cookbooks (Vive le Vegan! is by far my most favorite, most used and most loved cookbook). And making veganism look tasty and not difficult is one of the greatest favors you can do veganism, in my opinion.
My whole family does not think vegan cookies to be weird or impossible, but to be the best (the oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip and lemon poppyseed ones are favorites), and my boyfriend, who does not really get enthusiastic about food, requests your soups over and over (the thai peanut soup from Let them eat vegan is fantastic: i can throw in every vegetable from my CSA vegetable box I do not particularly like and don’t no what to do with in it and it turns out great every. single. time.).
To me, you contribute to veganism massively, with what you do best.
Isa Chandra Moskowitz said it very well:
“I think that activism isn’t what you decide to do but how it affects people. So if someone says, I’m going to become an activist! I’m going to stand on a street corner and preach about veganism! And then they go ahead and do that but no one listens and no one becomes vegan, then is that activism? On the other hand, maybe there’s a girl in the middle of nowhere who loves animals and decided to bake vegan. And then people taste her cupcakes and are like “What the hell, I’ll go vegan, too.” Obviously I think the latter is more effective, but I guess people might not see it as activism”.
Dreena says
Well, thank you Anne. That is lovely of you, and I’m totally thrilled you love those cookies – and the soup!! Gotta make the best of those CSA surprises! 😉 And yes, that quote from Isa encapsulates our thoughts very well… how effective we are is about how we affect. I like it. Thank you.
Heather Nicholds says
Dreena, I struggle with the same thoughts – on being vegan enough (I came in from an environmental perspective, and I feel like I’m always trying to catch up on the animal cruelty side which has become just as important to me) and very much on being healthy enough – while not putting out an image of having to be ‘perfect’. Because I agree 1000% with you that there’s no such thing as perfection, and even if there were I wouldn’t want to find it because I thin it would create a ton of stress and use energy that personally I would prefer to put into other aspects of living a healthy and happy life 🙂 I consider ‘perfection’ being centred and aware of all the things you mentioned, and also being adaptable and constantly learning. THANK YOU for writing this post, it’s so nice to share thoughts like this so we can all think about where we fall in this perspective. xox
Dreena says
Heather, I value your insight, you are someone that I see as very balanced in general, with diet and all aspects of living. I quite like your personal definition of perfection, we could all benefit from that new definition! Thanks for your thoughts. xx
Tom Ryan says
Dreena, thank you. I love this and what perfect timing. I just mentioned you and a few others who have inspired me in my journey toward a more compassionate life in my blog post about two hours ago. I’ll share your post with my readers as well.
My blog post: http://www.tomandatticus.blogspot.com/2013/06/following-atticus-has-meant-learning.html
Dreena says
Thank you Tom. I read your post, very moving and inspiring. Interesting we touched on some of the same thoughts, coincidental timing. It means a lot to know that my work has helped you in your journey of eating more compassionately, and more healthy. Thank you.